Under an Alien Sky
by Neo the Saiyan angel
Summary: Feelings are for the weak. It was the truth she clung to years after learning it. Yet she couldn't rid herself of the nagging, unbearable pressure that welled up when she was close him. It was just convenience, for the luxury and power of a name. Right?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Foreword**

_Hey there, everyone! This is an expansion of the ficverse presented in "A Strange Feeling", covering where Shego's been since she seemingly disappeared. It's been co-written with kgs-wy, and we hope you enjoy it!_

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><p>Hard, loud slaps echoed from the open windows and skylight of the large, detached gymnasium in the Imperial Housing District of Zerstorest, capital city of the Lorwardian Empire. Any Lorwardian looking in on the two small figures trading martial blows would have wondered if they were practicing, or resolving a minor marital dispute, while humans looking at them would wonder if they were trying to kill each other. The building was part of a rather palatial estate connected directly with the Imperial Gardens, which in turn were connected with the Imperial Palace itself.<p>

Even on a planet as large as Lorwardia, an estate of its size in the capital city was impressive, much akin to having a home in the center of New York's downtown and taking up almost as much space as Central Park. The Imperial City, despite its population of nearly thirty million, was barely as large as Denver, Colorado. It was, however, very vertical, with housing blocks stretching upwards of two kilometers into the sky. And, despite the overall warlike bent that was the core of Lorwardian culture, the city was stunning; architecture that was beautiful and practical, many 'garden zones' and parks, even the pure, strong flowing Zarklagh River, upon which pleasure craft lazily plied the currents.

The planet of Lorwardia orbited almost dead center on its star's 'Goldilocks Zone', but at a much larger orbit, in keeping with the star's much larger size. It was close to half again as large as Earth, but due to a higher abundance of lighter, and in many cases rarer, elements in its crust, it was somewhat less dense than Earth, making its gravity 'merely' 1.35 times that of Earth. Although it had as much water, proportionally, as Earth, it actually had less surface water, most of which was confined to rivers and inland lakes with only a few large oceans dotting the planet; to the surprise of Earth geologists that had been invited to study Lorwardia, most of its water reserves were underground.

The land along the oceanic coasts, lakes and rivers had an environment that was much like Earth's tropical and temperate rain forests, but outside of that, the planet was more in keeping with high summer in the western Great Plains and eastern United States. The average planetary temperature hovered at a comfortable 20 degrees C, something both of the combatants in the gymnasium were quite used to. Its axial tilt was lower than Earth's, and while it had seasons, they were far less extreme than the Earth's; there was frozen water only at the higher mountainous elevations and a few degrees from the very poles, and even then, the ice usually wasn't there all year round.

Even though they were used to similar temperature and humidity, the atmospheric density was something else. While being quite close to Earth's mix of airborne elements, Lorwardia's atmosphere was denser at or near sea level, something which could have caused the two humans problems, but was it was still within acceptable limits. Almost as if in compensation, there was a higher oxygen content, which significantly increased the two combatants already prodigious stamina, something many of their Lorwardian compatriots had commented upon. They had already been sparring their hardest, holding nothing back for nearly an hour and a half, and showed very few signs of slowing down.

One of those signs being that they still needed water, which had forced them to take four water breaks. The increased heat from exertion was taking a visible toll on them, sweat plastering even the heavy _gi_ uniforms they wore to their bodies. The man had resorted to pulling at the lapels of his _gi_ to force cooling air across his chest, but the female had other things in mind. While facing away from him, she pulled the lapels of her uniform apart, not so far as to show the entirety of the breasts, but enough to show an expanse of cleavage that she knew would distract him.

Smirking at the thought of his reaction, she capped her water bottle and tossed it next to her gym bag then, keeping her back to him, took her place in the sparring circle. "Hurry up, I'm tired of waiting." She heard a protesting groan, quickly followed by the shuffle of his feet. She turned, barely held back a chuckle as he took his place as she kept her _gi_ top mostly open, allowing her spin to bounce her chest in a very distracting manner.

Shego, the female combatant, didn't bother to suppress her smirk as her opponent's eyes slid down from her face to the half-open top of her _gi_, and gave a further jerk to her frame as she slipped into a stance, all to keep his attention on her distracting figure. Seeing that his eyes were glued to her chest despite his attempts otherwise, she jumped forward with a kick. The kick, however, was a feint, and when he brought his hands down to block, she reached up and grasped the lapels of his _gi_, before squeezing her right foot up between them and placing her foot in his breadbasket.

She immediately collapsed her left leg, rolling onto her rear, shoving her right foot slightly upwards and firmly back, using all of her not insignificant strength. The throw was perfectly executed, sending her opponent flying upwards just over two meters and backwards by almost six, even in the higher gravity. While it would have been an amazing throw to someone unfamiliar with her back on earth, it was something she'd done more than a couple times with Kim Possible during her days as a villain. After almost two years of training on Lorwardia, her already prodigious strength had increased notably, so the throw was, to her mind, quite unspectacular.

Her follow-through was done with her typical cat-like grace, twisting her legs and head about her center as she tumbled back upright, her upper body following like flowing water. She took her stance again and stared at her opponent as he twisted about his own center while airborne. She couldn't help but chuckle, as the man had left himself open for just that move, "What's the matter, not paying enough attention to your opponent?"

His recovery, while not the graceful, cat-like moves of the pale green woman, were nonetheless agile and showed an alacrity she'd have never accused of him when he was still in high school. _The more things change..._ she thought morosely, a memory flashing unbidden into her mind, as they had with more frequency as late...

**RSRSRSRS**

"For the love of..." Shego hissed as she glared around the gymnasium of Lorwardian High Ambassador's battlecruiser, _Defiant Virtue_. There was a full security squad, which consisted of half a dozen Lorwardians, on their off time with her. Two of them were nursing mild sprains and one of them was righting herself from being thrown into the wall with a good deal of force. All of them were there, and eager, to 'spar' with 'Lady Blue', as they called Shego, but this had barely been an exercise! "I wanted a _good_ sparring session, not this, this..."

The Lorwardians seemed a mix of insulted, abashed and resigned as she spread her hands out in clear disbelief at their failings. Battlehaft, the squad leader, was tall, and, while thin, was quite powerful. Shego was quite annoyed with her, though, since she'd just easily tossed into the woman into the wall. The demure Lorwardian woman glanced about her cautiously before speaking up, "I am sorry, Lady Blue, but when you said sparring, we did not realized you wished a full combat simulation."

"Wha-..." Shego got out, her face screwed up in confusion, "Rewind, Beanstalk, and explain that like I don't know what you mean." She barely held back the urge to growl, realizing that she'd almost directly quoted the Buffoon.

There were a few chuckles among the gathered warriors, who seemed to finally gather that they were in a state of misunderstanding with the small yet powerful primate. Sighing at the nickname, Battlehaft scrubbed her face with her hands, a gesture she'd apparently picked up working with Human security professionals, "Sparring for Lorwardians is what you Humans call..." She glanced at the short, almost square Lorwardian to her right, "What was it they call it, Axebreakr? Three-quarter contact?"

"Yes, Milady," Axebreakr said with a low, soft voice, "I think you are correct; what Lady Blue seeks is full combat simulation, what they would call full contact fighting."

"Yes!" Shego agreed, barely resisting the urge to, again, correct them in the use of Lady Blue. She'd been annoyed when they'd foisted the nickname on her back on Earth. It was better than Battleflame, the _other_ name a few had whispered since she'd dropped Warfalcon, the security detail's second in command and apparently Warhok's uncle, with a series of flaming punches. She had finally decided that it fit, considering how things had progressed out here with Stopp-... She closed her eyes and shook her head, forcing her mind off of that particular tangent through force of will. That mental tangent was just what she'd hoped to avoid thinking about when she'd suggested the sparring match. "That's _exactly_ what I meant..."

"Lady Blue," Battlehaft drew out the name slightly, "We... Can do so, if you so desire, but it would have to be known to our commander that is exactly what you wish."

"And why's that?" Shego demanded with an annoyed grimace.

"If you were to be hurt from a full combat simulation, and it was only known you wanted to _spar_ with us, it might incur the wrath of your Battlemate… Or the High Ambassador." Warbeak, one of the younger, more athletic of the group said with certainty. When Shego, who had briefly considered testing alien waters with the woman - she was very attractive, even by human standards - looked at her in confusion, she expanded her statement, "That would be something to avoid, as I am sure you understand."

"I doubt Stoppable would be too bothered." Shego scoffed. "I mean, he knows I like to fight, right? And _besides_, you guys're barely getting my blood pumping right now. I mean, _Kimmie_ hits harder than you guys when she's having a _bad_ day!" She barely resisted the urge to laugh at the insult her comment seemed to generate among her sparring opponents. Instead, she raised a challenging eyebrow at them, "It's true; Beanstalk there got me good with that knee, but Kimmie's hit me a _lot_ harder with kicks and elbows. And while strong and fast, Axey there couldn't even land one hit on me!"

"Were you using your skills as if this _were_ a full combat simulation, Lady Blue?" the youngest of the Lorwardians in the squad asked in an almost pouty tone of voice. She had yet to earn a Battlename, and was called by her Birthname, Roxnaya.

"Nah," Shego rolled her eyes, "I was going just a little above you guys, hoping to goad you into fighting harder." She shrugged as the youth's eyes widened in shock. "I didn't realize you guys were holding back 'cause of some honor thing... I mean, you guys're supposed to be some of the best, and I've _sparred_ harder back on earth, and compared to Warmonga? She pushed me every bit as hard as Kimmie ever did." She shrugged again, then raised an eyebrow as the Lorwardians glanced askance at each other, "What?"

"Lady Blue," Warfist, the eldest of the squad and its second-in-command, his eyes focused on her intently, "Lady Warmonga, before her injuries at the Thirteen Moons of Jingo, was one of our best single warriors. She taught all of us aside from Roxnaya, who instead learned the arts from her father, the Emperor's personal armsman, who _is_ the best at war arts among Lorwardians." He let that sink in for a moment before adding, "And Lady Warmonga had tied him twice and lost once in the Imperial Games hand-to-hand competitions."

"Then why was she so..." Shego bit her tongue on the words 'brain dead'. While the comment was a common, mild insult on Earth, it could be easily misinterpreted by the often direct minded Lorwardians. And why cause an interstellar incident by insulting someone who was still revered by many Lorwardians and even other species? After a moment, she sighed and went with friendlier term, "Loopy? She seemed..."

"As Warfist said, Lady Blue, she was injured retaking the Thirteen Moons of Jingo." Hedpoundr, the largest of the group, spoke up, his voice a high tenor that still made a bubble of laughter sit just under Shego's breast. After all, the man's voice was not in keeping with his physical appearance at all! "The injury was what you humans call a traumatic brain injury. It made her vulnerable to Warhok's manipulation. As she was counted among the Emperor's kin, when she demanded to be let out of recovery, they did so."

"Okay..." Shego grunted, twisting her lips in a grimace, "So I have to brush up on Lorwardian history if I'm going to be connected with Stoppable like I am."

"It may be a good idea." Battlehaft sniggered, then stretched, "I shall go speak to Commander Bloodwulf and inform him of your intent to 'spar' more seriously with us." The use of air-quotes was one that the woman had learned from Shego, and the pale woman barely repressed the urge to snicker at it.

"Lady Blue?" Roxnaya asked in confusion, "Why do you wish to spar us? Why not spar your Battlemate?"

"Well, Roxy..." Shego sighed, falling into a t'ai chi ch'uan form to keep her blood flowing and her muscles from cramping, "We're still... Feeling things out... Between us, I mean."

"You two seem to have things well in hand?" Roxnaya persisted, drawing Shego up short.

"That is not all she has well in hand, I bet..." Warbeak muttered under her voice, obviously not intending for Shego to hear the comment if the mild note of jealousy in her tone was any indication.

Under normal circumstances, Shego might've reacted quite poorly, especially considering her tumultuous emotions. Somehow, though, the note of jealousy, and the curiosity as to whether it was directed at Stoppable or Shego herself, kept the superpowered mercenary from exploding. She was relatively calm, even, as she was able to keep her barely audible when she counted to ten in four languages, including Lorwardian.

Calming enough to keep her cool even without the counting, Shego continued her form as if she hadn't stopped, which in turned managed to drown out both the laughter from Warbeak's comrades. Any further comments from the aliens were kept to themselves, though she was sure they'd continue the discussions later. She had other things to worry about, but let her mind wander. She hoped doing so would allow her to purge the emotions, at least for a short while. _I'm_ not _falling for the buffoon like I did..._ She tried to cut the thought off viciously, but it had already spread into her mind, _The sex was because he was the only other human around! All this_ Lady Blue _crap was_ just _for the money and power, like with Smarty!_

The self-directed argument was hollow, even to her. Part of her wanted to laugh aloud, but didn't want to give the goons the satisfaction of giving her something amusing to laugh at. Besides, she'd pay them back when Battlehaft returned with 'permission' to up the ante...

**RSRSRSRS**

Shego snapped out of her reverie just in time for two size thirteen shoes to impact squarely against her breadbasket, sending her flying backwards almost five meters. She barely caught herself from taking a tumble, but her recovery was, at best, graceless. She glared at her opponent as she sucked in breath against her stunned diaphragm's protests, choking out, "Ron, what the hell?"

"What's the matter, Shego?" Ron Stoppable asked, smirking at her in a very familiar fashion, "Not paying attention to your opponent?"

"Argh!" Shego growled, scowling at the blond with rage and annoyance swimming in her eyes. Without warning, she crossed her hands in front of her, eight spikes of highly concentrated plasma streaking out in a vertical X pattern in front of her. It was a new trick she'd perfected while practicing with the surprisingly capable Monkey Master, the plasma concentrated into a nearly pure kinetic charge. She waited until Ron jumped forward and up, then followed the first stream of plasma with one shaped like a cross, concentrating most of the charges in the area he would be jumping through.

Much to her frustration, he brought up a mystical shield, blocking the six bolts in his path. She lurched forward when she realized his forward progress had been halted, plasma wreathed hands slashing in a fast, precise manner. Her face pinched in irritation as his defenses became more and more unlikely and yet more effective in stopping her assault. She increased her speed and began to move forward, one foot lifting and quickly setting down slightly closer to him. Anyone watching would have thought she'd created a shield of her plasma in front of her and that was what she was using to try and drive him back. She knew better, though; he was giving ground in hopes she overstepped, leaving her open for a sweep or takedown.

Her footwork, however, remained precise, giving him no openings. When the pale woman noticed Ron was finally moving backwards more, a clear attempt to draw her out, she brought a leg up as if preparing to move forward once again. Instead of stepping down, she twisted her body to her left, drawing the foot up slightly and out to her right. When the foot was properly 'chambered', she then launched it forward and around, crossing her midsection and up. Thinking it was a sidekick, which the chambered foot resembled, he brought his right arm up to redirect the kick over his head.

"Eugh!" Shego barked, the _kiyup_ - the Korean version of the Japanese martial art's _kiai_ - startled him into freezing briefly. Her foot swept up around his blocking right arm to tag him in the right temporal section of his head. The kick was called a high twisting kick, which she'd learned when she was barely eight years old in her first martial art, Taekwon-do. While awkward, and usually not the most applicable kick in combat, it still had occasions in which it would work.

This was one such case as it struck true, knocking Ron off balance enough that when she dropped her leg, she was able to tag him with an elbow to the gut. He folded over the blow and seemed to roll awkwardly over it, and she heard his body strike the mat. She lifted her right leg again, spinning around and tensing to drop it down in an axe kick down on his gut as a followup to the elbow, but felt a light pinch, more in keeping with a caress, to her right buttock. _Did he just..._

She paused just long enough that he was able to roll to her left, resulting in her kick striking the thin mat covering the floor. Her eyes widened as if to deny what he'd just done, but the devious grin on his face, and the sensation of _another_ caressing pinch to the opposite buttock, confirmed with a follow-up wink, told her he had, indeed, goosed her. _Twice_!

"Stoppable! I thought you were done with being the distraction?!" she grit out, jumping up and lashing downwards with both feet towards his face. Her strike missed as the monkey master giggled and rolled into a tuck that ended up with him behind her. She immediately lashed out was a backwards elbow, but he'd already slipped into her range and snaked both arms around her chest, his hands crossing each other and reaching up under her still loose top, his thumbs and forefingers tweaking her bare nipples. While it was only mildly painful to her-in fact, if they'd have been in the bedroom, it would have been _quite_ arousing, not to mention pleasurable-it frustrated her all the more. "What the _hell's_ gotten into you?"

"Nothin'?" he asked innocently. Her anger peaked and she reached up to grab his hands, managing to get ahold of his right hand as he snaked it out of her top. Sliding her fingers to precise points on his hand, she tried to lock the wrist, which managed to swing him around in front of her. She was putting some force into an attempt to force his hand into a wristlock, but his muscles were fighting with near parity to hers, and his own power was keeping the heat of her plasmic fires at bay. He merely raised an eyebrow and asked, "And what's wrong with being your own distraction?" Shego glared at him with an intensity that matched her annoyance from back when he was still in Team Possible. Smirking, he quipped, "What're ya gonna do, Hot Hands?"

"Destroy you, Buffoon!" she half-screamed, dragging him closer to her without warning and slamming her forehead into his nose. His eyes teared up and closed in automatic response to the pain of the strike, and she used his distraction to slam a double palm strike into his chest. He managed to bring up a mystic barrier again, which she knew would happen. Their powers coruscated in a brilliant teal flash throughout the room, and while his powers protected him from the force of her blow, Ron still flew backwards almost eight meters. The distance, combined with the force, ended with him slamming the back of his head into a Lorwardian heavy bag, sending it swinging.

Shego started to laugh at the stunned look on his face as he drooped, falling to his knees, but the expression of mirth died stillborn as the heavy bag struck the ceiling and came swinging back. The bag was similar to Earth's heavy bags, but had a heavy duty composite frame leaving only specific areas open for striking, in fitting with Lorwardian military martial arts. That very same composite covered the bottom curve of the bag, which slammed into the back of Ron's head firmly, knocking him flat on his face with a defeated groan.

"Ronnie!" Shego gasped, dashing over to kneel beside him and pull him from under the flailing punching bag. She cursed herself mentally at using the nickname; aside from a few passion filled moments, she hadn't used it with him save for recent cringe-worthy moments, and always blew it off afterwards. She tried to blow it off, at least to herself, but found that she couldn't. "C'mon, Sport, you've had worse..."

"Yeah," Ron groaned in agreement, "But I don't usually taste blood in my mouth without any actual blood."

"Concussion," Shego concluded, sitting back on her rump and grimacing guiltily. "Sorry..."

"Hey, 's alright." He reached up and felt the back of his head, sighing in relief when he brought his hand around in front of him and saw the lack of blood on his fingertips. "See, just a little bump on my thick head!" Ron smiled as he held his fingers up so she could inspect them, the cute expression making nervous butterflies dance in her stomach. She tried to keep the worried smile she returned to him off her face, but didn't succeed, making the blond cock his head slightly, "So what's up? You've been off all morning, and you don't normally blow up like that when I mess with ya during sparring."

"You don't normally do _those_ kinds of things while sparring." Shego griped back, hating the somewhat whiney tone in her voice.

"Eh, seemed like the thing to do at the time. You were getting all 'grr, argh', so I tried to get you to loosen up, y'know?" Ron chuckled, wincing slightly before rolling, then sitting up and back on his rear end. Pulling his legs up into a lotus position, he regarded her semi-seriously, "Guess I picked the wrong day to act up, righ-..."

"No!" Shego countered, then flushed slightly, looking away from him, "No, it's not that..."

"What is it, Sheegs?" Ron asked gently, earning a huff from the older woman.

"Don't call me that," she demanded, but without much heat.

The blond blinked and tilted his head in confusion. "Wait, are you upset about something I did last night?" Ron prodded further, "This morning? Oh no, don't tell me I forgot your birthda-"

"No, dammit!" she half-grunted, her many frustrations and repressed feelings spiking again. She shook her head, staring down at the floor in front of her. Her breath hitched slightly when she tried to explain it, fear closing her throat, "No, it... It's... It's just..."

"Shego, if there was something I did, or something I said… I mean, we're together like the Three Amigos, but closer than that, right? I need to know what I did so I can fix it!" Ron begged, driving the guilt she'd felt all morning deeper with the concern in his tone.

"I messed up, Ronnie..." she forced out against her better judgment, again using the nickname she was terrified to use, the fear of what it meant almost as deep as her guilt.

"Well, maybe when you got distracted there?" Ron countered, his tone confused, though Shego could swear it sounded like he was looking for something to deflect her self-directed words, "I mean, I'm the one that caught that double palm strike, an-..."

"No, _I_ did..." she interrupted quietly, her voice oddly thick. Ron's head drooped as she ignored his attempt to distract her, staring at the ground between his crossed legs, "Here, with you, back on Earth with..." She swallowed against the dryness of her throat, closing her eyes tightly, "I... Messed up..."

"How?" Ron asked, and Shego opened her eyes to look at him. She saw his concern, felt her face scrunching up and her vision blurring as, to her vexation, her eyes filled with tears. She couldn't see his face, but it was easy to picture surprise or even shock as he said, "Shego? Are you-"

"_Zip it_!" she screeched angrily. She shoved herself to her feet and stalked a few paces away, her hands lighting up involuntarily.

"Shego, please?" Ron pushed, drawing a strangled hiss from the pale woman. "Talk to me?"

She felt her anger boiling, and wanted to scream, but didn't dare. His tone was too understanding, too patient and if she said something, anything, about what she felt, he'd want to talk about it! To _resolve_ it, and she couldn't risk that, not again. Even so, that very understanding and patience made her want to speak, as if to spite her long, hard won wall of prickly indifference and her own determination to suffer in silence. Unfortunately for her wishes, he'd been around aggressive women all his life and had a knack for finding just which buttons to push; not usually with words, but his expressions, tone and, sometimes, his teasing. It seemed to work wonders on dropping the aggression levels in people like Kimmie. To her chagrin, it worked on her, as well. "I just... I don't want to see you hurting like this."

For Shego, his words were like opening the release valve on a pressure cooker, and her words came spilling out like clouds of steam, "I _screwed up_ with Drakken. He… He didn't deserve me ditching him, let _alone_ at the freaking altar!" She swallowed audibly and her breath, to her shame, was shaking with emotion. But her control was loosened like the reins of a horse and she went on, almost stumbling over her words in the effort to speak, "He spent _so_ much time, preparing and... And _planning_ that, that _silly_, big, _old-fashioned_ wedding, while... While _I_ spent it not knowing if I cared all that much or if I was just going along because I had nothing better to do, or… Or if..."

She brought her hands up to stare at them, or more specifically, where an engagement ring once encircled her finger. As if to take the image from her mind, she flung her hands out, her voice less angry and more sorrowful, "I...I _loved_ him, okay? I _get_ that now. But... But I... I was so _scared_." She paused, as if trying not to say more. Finally, though, the pressure in her chest was painful and she snarled in disgust. "_Scared_! _**Me**_! Of, of ending up like some waddling mother to a bunch of whining kids!"

"Shego, it's oka-"

"_No_, dammit!" Shego shrieked, "It's _not_ okay!" Her hands flew downwards, launching two balls of plasma straight down at her feet. The mat and concrete analogue where she stood exploded with the force of her anger, flying in all directions and forcing Ron to duck as a large chunk flew towards his head. Her hair was mussed from the backblast and studded with bits of the floor, her face wrenched into a furious scowl as she breathed in and out. After several long, tense seconds, she finally managed to choke out, "It's _not_ okay..."

That was all she managed to say before choking out an abrupt, body-wracking sob...

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><p><span><strong>Author's Notes<strong>

_Heya kids. Well, kgs and I kinda got to talking about the set-up for A Strange Feeling. The universe and all that. Then I started trying (and failing) to write a good Rongo fic as a companion. I asked him for help, he said sure, and this resulted. ...as did a few other things. We'll get them posted once we finish nitpicking them, but for now enjoy this first chapter of another two-parter. More to come for this little universe later, so if you're interested, keep an eye out for the rest! Or set up an alert, as you see fit._


	2. Chapter 2

Ron, having seen what an unleashed Shego could do to a Lorwardian, had never been more scared of her than he was at that moment. Along with the fear, though, was a tingle of excitement. She was powerful and dangerous, a fury of olde born again as a plasma-wielding, strong-willed mercenary. Just as quickly as she had burst with power, however, the plasma was extinguished and again before him stood a woman with more regret than he could have imagined, especially for her. And just as quickly, his fear and excitement fled, chased away by that singular, heartwrenching sob.

"I..." She started, misery suffusing her voice, "That's why I tagged along. I... I couldn't even handle being on the same _planet_ as him. It… Hurts… Too much, knowing that I… And that he… Especially when he and Princess started to… You know... I mean, it was obvious that they... That _she_ wouldn't be afraid to..." She let herself fall to the ground with a sigh, tears finally slipping free, the twin sparks of emotion trailing from her eyes. Looking out through the skylight, staring at the arm of the Milky Way, so much closer, covering so much more of the sky, than back home. After a long moment, she whispered, "I'm a coward."

Ron forced himself swallow the lump of fear in his throat, trying to force himself to relax and not be super-scared of the superpowered woman who just literally blew up. Thinking for a second, he said with a nervous chuckle, "I totally don't think you're a coward!"

Shego glared over at him. "Yes I am. What kind of lamewit runs off into space to get away from a guy that could easily be dodged by staying away from any place that sells chocolate milk?"

"I dunno?" Ron quipped, his grin growing wider when Shego's expression darkened slightly, "What kind of _meshugganah_ runs off into the great unknown with his rat and a beautiful woman like yourself while leaving everything he knew behind, including his bon-diggity BFGF?" He paused and drew a finger to his chin, pursing his lips in thought, "Well, other than the crazy idea of keeping some big ol' muscly guys from wrecking his home?"

"Beautiful?" She blinked a couple of times, more caught off guard by that one word than anything else he'd said. Ron wanted to kick himself; while he _had_ said she was hot before, 'cause she was. Hot, sexy, even pretty, but never beautiful. He was scared of how she'd react, because beautiful carried a whole different level of implications about how he felt for her. After all, he'd told her that he only called a woman beautiful if he had feelings for her. He'd known, when they first left Earth, that he could fall for her.

But, as they'd agreed the year before, their sexual relationship was more lovers of convenience as the only two humans on the ship. Even lately, despite the fact that they'd admitted being more friends with benefits than anything, she'd never given him a hint of deeper emotions nor had he given any to her. Yet now he'd admitted, not just to her, but to himself, that he might feel more than just physical attraction to her.

'_Oh, man'_ he thought morosely, '_I hope I didn't just screw this all up...'_ He all but held his breath as Shego seemed to think on his words for a moment.

"Th-thanks..." She finally said, allowing a brief, fragile smile to cross her features before wiping her eyes with the backs of her hands. When she was done, she let a short, dry chuckle escape her throat. "You're a lot like Dr. D, you know that?" With a grunt that was somewhere between annoyance and resignation, she pulled her feet free from the rubble she'd created, walked over and plopped down next to Ron.

"Well, yeah, we're both goofy guys."

Shego snorted and looked at him with a tilted eyebrow. "Yeah, you guys are. You're both _also_ good actors." Ron raised a finger in protest, one that he quickly dropped when she raised a responding finger covered in a sheen of plasma. She continued, pausing briefly here and there, "Do you really think that you can pull this off with me after having been so… Intimate… With someone so much like you? Or after being intimate with _you_ like I have for that matter? You are _clearly_ far deeper than you let on, oh-so-Great Blue. Otherwise... Otherwise you wouldn't have left your 'one twue wuv'," he thought the silly voice and air quotes was a mean even for Shego, but didn't interrupt, "to come out to space to try and calm down a bunch of hyperactive bash monsters." She gave him a serious look. "No one as shallow as you make yourself out to be would make that kind of sacrifice."

Finished, she raised her chin slightly as if daring him to say anything against it.

"Ohhhh, she go' you!" a squeak cried from across the room.

"Rufus…" Shego growled in warning. The little mole rat saluted her with a paw and went back to playing on the little gaming device he'd made during the journey.

Ron stood there for a few minutes, just watching Shego with a curious expression. She started to shift around, as if her skin started to feel itchy at the intense scrutiny. Before she could break eye contact, though, he broke it first; the strangely worn-out chuckle he let out was clearly not what she had been expecting. He was pretty sure she expected something like denial, not… _That._

"Yeah, you're right. Kind of, anyway," he said slowly; admitting it was harder than he thought it would be. A hand impulsively reached for the back of his head before he caught himself and forced it to fall. His face, while still jovial, had a certain weight to it that hadn't been there before. Shego was looking at him, apparently trying to figure out what he was going to say. Ron himself didn't know what he was going to say, whether what he felt was on his sleeve or if he'd hidden it away, even from himself. After a moment, he shrugged and just let his mouth make words like he had to Kim in Bueno Nacho's headquarters, hoping he was doing the right thing. "I mean, I _am_ still a goofy guy, just like Dra-ew is a goofy guy. But we're not all goof. Even if sometimes it might seem like it.

"And yeah, I _do_ exaggerate my goof factor by a few, uh, multi-things. But sometimes," Ron sighed, running a hand over his tired looking face, "sometimes, it was all that kept Kim from losing touch with reality. She is _the_ Kim Possible, the girl that could do anything!" He paused, then chuckled slightly, "And that includes forgetting that even if she can do _anything_... Well, she can't do _everything_. My goof adds... Added, I guess, a bit of the Ron factor to keep her head on straight, y'know?"

"Yeah, I noticed," the green woman deadpanned. "I think we probably could've beaten her if you and your rat were out of the picture, Mr. Distraction."

"Don't hate the player; hate the game!" Ron chirped, earning a firm slap to the back of his head.

"Never say that again," Shego warned him in an unwontedly serious fashion. "My first boyfriend said that to me when he broke up with me." She grimaced at the questioning eyes he favored her with, and added with a sigh, "Literally seconds after he popped my cherry."

"Oh, wow," he murmured, eyes widening. He had not expected such a personal admission from the snarky, closed off woman, "I'm so sorry someone treated you like that."

"Well, c'est la vie." Shego shrugged, as if it meant nothing to her. "I got used to it back then. Probably why I stuck with all the beach hotties when I got older." Ron reached out impulsively wrapping her in a gentle, loving hug. Shego stiffened slightly, then melted into the embrace, biting her lip nervously as a slightly, barely noticeable shiver ran through her body.

"It still sucks, Sheegs." he countered, but felt her stiffen as if she were about to protest. Shaking his head at nothing in particular, "As far as my being a goof, well... I kinda realized that we were both growing up. I can't keep goofing off forever. KP needs... _Needed_, I guess, to find her own little happy place and… And stop using me as a crutch."

"Oh what, so now you're letting Dr D be the crutch?" she said with a small, if half-hearted, growl.

"Not exactly?" Ron sighed. "You gotta remember about me and KP. We _grew up_ together. I just… I can't make her not happy as much as I'd like, can't keep the whole Kimness thing under control." Shego looked up at him questioningly, drawing a grimace from him. "I _can't_, Shego. I _tried_, believe me! Kim is stubborn, and I just didn't feel right pushing when I really should. But the doc? He can be mean sometimes. He can tell her to slow down, while I..." Ron grumbled under his breath in frustration, "Basically, I'm hoping that he can give her the reality checks she _needs_ - the ones I _couldn't_ - while also wanting to be her SO. And I'm hoping that KP'll be level-headed enough to keep Doc on the straight and narrow, not to mention handle the badly-needed critiques when his mind starts going sideways." He managed a soft, oddly fond chuckle, "Besides, KP's always had a thing for older guys, and I'm almost a year younger than her, so..."

"So then… Her and Doc..." Shego blinked, then finished with a defeated sounding, "Huh." After that, it was obvious she was drawing a blank on what else they should talk about. A realization set in with Ron that, in the course of this one big, winding discussion, weights that she never noticed had fallen off. She wasn't as tense as she had been, her breathing felt as if it were coming easier. Her eyes were… Open. Free in a way he hadn't seen during the entire time he'd known her. "So, uh..."

"So, uh…" Ron parroted, clearly also having trouble finding a way to continue the conversation. An awkward lopsided grin took residence on his face as the wandering hand once again found its way behind his head. "I guess… Good talk?"

Her face burst into a genuine flirty smile before receding slightly, telling him that it was more spontaneous than she had wanted. "Yeah, good talk Ronnie." Shego moved to push herself up off of him, but his arm tightened slightly. She glanced over at him, only to see that his grin had lost the goof to it, and the expression on her face changed subtly. She swallowed, as if uncertain of what to do, when Ron slipped his legs out of the lotus position and levered them both up.

"Ready to go, Shego?" he asked, his grin widening slightly as she returned it, her eyes shining brighter than the stars visible through the skylight above them.

"Yeah." They began to head out of the room, before Shego stopped and grabbed Ron's shoulder. "Ronnie?"

He paused, his stance tensing as he prepared for one final throw from her. Ron had been expecting some kind of revenge for the slights during their bouts, and this was as good a time as any to get one good hit in. "Uh, yes?"

Apparently deciding to thwart his presumptions, Shego instead stepped over and gave him a large, for her, hug.

"I… When we're alone, could you… Call me Sheegs…?" Ron knew she'd hate how flustered she sounded, and while her face didn't show it, he could tell she was embarrassing herself. For him, no less!

"Sure thing, Sheegs." Ron chuckled, reaching out to caress her cheek gently. They'd been intimate physically for some time, and emotionally - in the way friends were - for just a short while less, but he'd never dared let on that more was possible, until she opened up to him. Now that she had, he felt that final, small shift inside of him, one last little barrier falling away, allowing his heart to open up completely. Oh, he'd known when they first started the journey to Lorwardia that he could fall for her, and had all but admitted he had when he called her beautiful. Now, with her own barriers dropping away, he fell that short, but seemingly infinite, last little distance.

He felt it in the light blush crawling across his cheeks, and saw it in the twinkle that was at once familiar and completely new in Shego's eyes. Before he realized what was happening, he was pinned to the floor, and the attack he'd half expected came, but not one of martial skill. Instead, her lips were attacking his in a frenzy, her tongue dueled his while her hands trailed up and down his body with an abandon he'd never experienced or expected from her.

Across the gym, Rufus paused his game and glanced up, neither of them really hearing the tiny, "Boo-yah!" from their little friend. The little rodent then realized that, indeed, they weren't stopping as they usually did. He ran for Ron's bag to fetch a much-needed item. He searched for only a few moments before he found it: his mole rat-sized headphones, this one being a gift from Wade the year before. Rufus dragged them over to the game and plugged them in, sighing in content when the noises his humans were making was drowned out by the fast, catchy music of his game pounding out of the speakers. With one last glance at his friends, he plopped them on his head and went back to his game, a self-satisfied, toothy grin on his face...

**RSRSRSRS**

It was the better part of an hour and a half later when the two of them walked, hand in hand, into the gymnasium's shower. While nothing compared to earlier when she'd admitted to herself, and him, how she felt about him, the fact that they were showering together was still a surprise. She almost never did that with a lover, and only if they'd done a good enough job that she wanted to reward them with an extended view of her body. This time, as with their sex... No, their _lovemaking_, was _completely_ different. She wanted him to be there with her, to not only see her but let _her_ see _him_ and, more importantly to her, to be _close_ to him.

She knew he worshiped her body, but, after today, she was ready to _let_ him, and to worship his significantly changed body in return. Despite the times they'd been sexually intimate, she'd never really noticed how much he'd filled out. He would never be a bodybuilder, but that didn't matter. While she'd chased plenty of steroid - and the exceedingly rare naturally - pumped up muscleheads, she'd always preferred men that weren't quite that big. Ron, once pudgy and a bit slight, now had a firm, solid build, but retained the trim, lithe athletic form of a martial artist. He'd retained just enough bodyfat to soften the cut musculature and make cuddling against it comfortable.

The fact that she was willing to consider the sex they'd just had as lovemaking was another shock. Granted, since they'd shared that first, almost hateful sexual liaison during the trip to Lorwardia over two years ago, she'd been amazed at just how adaptable a lover the blond standing next to her was. She let go of his hand as they entered the shower, looking away from him and grimacing when she thought, once again, on how little she'd expected of him when the fight, flight or fornicate instincts had chosen the lattermost for expression. Hindsight let her know that she had experienced a good chunk of fight as well. She was thankful he was looking away to prepare the complicated shower, because she _knew_ he'd ask her about her thoughts.

The grimace faded, though, when her memories again rehashed that first coupling. Then, as now, she'd been blown away at how, despite his at the time inexperienced fumbling, he'd at least had enthusiasm. Yes, his attempts to be sexy had been annoying at the time, and their first bout had barely been acceptable in her book, mostly _because_ of that enthusiasm... But when she'd expressed annoyance at his antics, he'd stopped, then just... Nodded and asked what she wanted.

He'd _listened_ to her, and his willingness after that to communicate, before, during and _after_ sex had probably been the first thing he'd done to put her at ease. Just being _Ron_, of all things, had begun to chip away at the long standing walls she'd put up, and reinforced after breaking things off with Drew. She'd almost, _almost_ broken it off with Ron too, but the relaxed vibe they had and knowledge that, despite his lack of skill he was trainable, had kept her on. '_Thank_ goodness _I ignored that little voice saying to run back to Earth...'_

The lovemaking they'd shared such a short time ago had been yet another shock to her system. Not only had it been incredible, it had been... Intimate. It had started slow and tender, which she normally hated but had found tolerable coming from Ron, and built up in intensity until it was fast and intense and _delicious_. And through it all, he'd given her those looks, asking without words if what he was doing was alright even though, for the most part, he knew just what to do with her and when. The raised, teasing eyebrow, the knowing, but still questioning smile... She bit her lip as, unbidden, the image of him kneeling between her legs and, slowly and appreciatively, looking up her torso and straight into her eyes stuck her. _Oh,_ God_, that was hot..._

When they were eventually done and they'd laid there sharing in each other's presence, they hadn't cared one whit about anything else. There they were, naked in the middle of their gym with the windows open and the skylight's blinds parted wide and opened to allow air in, panting and positively _glowing_ after the best sex they'd had to date. The best _she'd_ had to date, with _anyone_. And she hadn't been the least bit embarrassed or self-conscious. Oh, granted, she'd done some kinky things in her life. Things she had yet-but now planned to do, _regularly_-with Ron. But having sex out where God and everybody had a chance to see them? No, nuh-uh, no sir, not Sarah Ó Seachnasaigh's little girl!

Making out a bit or touching in public? That was one thing. Sex? Something else entirely. In truth, the _closest_ she'd ever come to something quite as blatant was having sex with a man in an enclosed balcony at a very, very upscale hotel in the French Riviera. It had been during the day, with the lights off inside. The balcony had been designed with one way, mirrored windows that had insured their privacy from prying eyes.

She didn't react to the water rushing from the dozens of shower nozzles artfully hidden within the wall, being far too deep in thought to do so. '_Why did it change?'_ she asked herself, '_Why now, of all times did it stop mattering where I did it? Was it that before, when it'd been _just _sex, it just wasn't worth it...? Could it be as simple as that?'_ She pondered the question, and concluded, with only a brief moment's thought, that it must be. That just one, subtle little change in how she considered sex with Ron had been the catalyst to actually enjoy the act, no matter what.

She jumped slightly when Ron rested a hand on her shoulder, drawing her to look into his eyes. Seeing the care he held for her in those eyes, she understood that, deep down, didn't care about the whats and the wherefores of it all. "Y'okay, Sheg-egs?" She bit her lip; she was scared to tell him in words, so she reached up and grasped his hand in both of her, bringing his hand to her lips and planting a soft, featherlight kiss to his palm.

She closed her eyes and nodded, then surprised them both by reaching out and wrapping her arms around him, drawing him in close to her. With his eyes hidden from her view, she felt the heaviness of her voice lift, and she managed to sound almost normal when she whispered, "I'm fine, Sport... Just thinking, is all."

"What about?" Ron asked, and she could feel the smile on his face, and shivered as his fingers traced the defined, yet feminine lines of muscle along her back.

"I've..." she paused long enough to hum in contentment as he began to knead gently up and down her lower back, relaxing more than she'd already been. Leaning against him, she shrugged and continued, "I've been a full-on wench to you the last few years, Ronnie."

"How so?" he prodded, pleasantly surprising her as she'd half expected him to protest that she hadn't.

Smiling into his neck, she chuckled softly, "I've been so worried that I'd fall into the same mental trap I did with Drew that I kept you at arm's length." He gave a soft chuckle as well, then shrugged as if it meant nothing. She wanted to protest his shrug but didn't, because, perhaps, he was right. They were starting out on a new path, and the past had led them here. In the end, it really didn't matter beyond bringing them together. "Then, today, I... I know it was kinda bad form to drop the L-bomb. I mean, when I did."

"I didn't mind! In fact, it was the bondigitiest thing I've heard you moan," Ron said, pulling his arms back and gently pushing her away, so he could look into her eyes. Her eyebrow raised slightly in warning at his suddenly goofy behavior. Catching the message, he continued, "Seriously, Sheegs... You all but said it before, with letting me use my favorite nickname for you. And, if you remember, I…" there went his arm again, exaggeratedly motioning at himself. She let it slide this time, as he _was_ making a point, "I said it right back."

"Well," Shego blushed deeply, glancing away from him as she was again flooded with the relatively new emotions. She was loathe to admit it, but she was protesting to give him a way out. She didn't want to force him to say the words, especially as they'd both said it in the heat of the moment. The thought that, for the first time in a very, very long time, she was putting someone else's feelings first embarrassed her. Her skin took on the odd, orangish tinge of her blushing as she said, flustered, "Yeah, but most people think it's just _bad_ to say it the heat of the moment for the first tim-"

"I love you, Shego," Ron declared bluntly. Her eyes snapped back to his, and she stared deeply into the hazel depths. He smirked and flippantly added, "Even when you do turn all orangey."

"I..." She swallowed against the lump that formed in her throat, not even caring that he was teasing her blush. As if afraid others would hear her, a fear that still gripped her even now, she whispered, "I love you, too, Ron." Her eyes stung slightly as she thought on their burgeoning relationship… And her own acceptance of it. An acceptance that, without the lovemaking to drive it on, she could still admit it.

And it didn't seem to matter to Ron. His smile widened, his eyes sparkling with unmasked delight. He leaned forward and planted a soft kiss to her lips, sliding his arms back around her and pulling back just enough to look at her. Cocking his head slightly, he asked, "There, was that too hard?"

"You have _no_ idea how hard that was for me, Doofus!" Shego snarked with only a sheen of self-defensiveness, though the smile on her face took any sting out of her tone. She felt his arms tighten around her at the same instant her knees buckled and sagged into him. Despite her own efforts, the tears stinging her eyes began to fall, and she buried her face into the crook of his neck, "God... That was harder than… Than when I decided to leave Drew at the altar."

Ron blinked, twice, then, shaking his head in wonder, said, "I guess I should count my blessings, then?"

"You're damn right you should!" Shego snipped, reaching up to pinch his shoulder. He let out a loud yip. She began to laugh lightly, feeling a wash of... Something, flood through her, similarly to what had happened after their sparring session. This was different, though, less a purging of pent up emotional turmoil and more a relaxing sense of acceptance. With a smirk, she pulled back and leaned down slightly to plant a firm, possessive kiss on his lips. "And you'd _better_ not forget it!"

"Nope!" Ron agreed, gulping in an exaggerated fashion. Shego's eyebrows drew together slightly and she pursed her lips, before slapping the back of his head lightly with her fingertips.

"And don't pull that terrified crap with me, Doofus," she warned him, her face taking on a smirk when he nodded. She poked his chest and he moved away a half-step. "If you do, you'll be back to 'the buffoon' so fast your head'll spin!"

"Okay, okay..." Ron held his hands placatingly, chuckling slightly, before sobering a bit, "Though, when you did the blowing a hole in the floor thing I was completely and utterly scared."

"Of me?" Shego demanded lightly.

"You, the situation, the floor almost giving way to magma..." Ron shrugged, his lips twisting in a half-smile, half-frown, "You were crying, Sheegs, and I... Well, I _hate_ it when people I care about cry." He gave her a smirk of his own, reaching out to move a sodden lock of hair from her face. "And I guess it's about ten times worse when it's someone I've fallen in love with."

"Yeah, well," Shego scoffed, "don't get used to it. One breakdown a decade's fine for this girl! I'm not some simpering maiden in need of a white prince."

"I hope not, or else this goofy looking little Jewish boy from Middleton wouldn't have a chance!" Ron giggled a little at his self-depreciative joke, then reached out, gently placing his hands on her shoulders and raising an eye questioningly, "You're sure you're okay with that goofy looking little Jewish boy fro-..."

"You even have to ask, after today?" She interrupted with a slightly derisive snort. To take the sting out of the words, she shook her head and reached out again, pulling them close together and giving him another peck on the lips. She marveled at how, in the span of a few minutes, she'd held someone close of her own volition more than she had in over half a decade. Wrapping her arms fully around him and leaning her forehead against his, she asked something that had been tickling at the edge of her mind, "Anyway, Doofus, have you been holding back on me?"

"Wha'd'ya mean?" Ron asked in his normal, guileless fashion.

"What I mean, _Ronnie_," she reached down to give his rear a rough squeeze with both hands, "is the sex! You been holding out on me?"

"I could ask you the same question." Ron said innocently, though there was a devilish glint in his eyes that belied his guileless manner, "Today was amazing! For me, anyway. I mean, you and your, well, _everything_! It was _incredible_..."

"Yeah, it was, wasn't it?" Shego smirked, cocking her head to the side smirking as she squeezed his rear once more, but far more gently. "Are we good or what?"

"You are," Ron quipped, "I was just along for the ride."

"Uh, huh," Shego rolled her eyes. "And you've done that thing you did with your tongue how many times, exactly?"

"It's..." Ron flushed slightly and shrugged, "It's something I've always been able to do? But, well, I just recently read that it could be great for bedroom stuff. Just, I was kinda waitin' for the right moment to try it out, one where you wouldn't roast me for being all delicate and forward-y."

"What, you never did that with Princess?" Shego snipped in as teasing a manner as she could. She didn't want to make the boy descend into a maudlin spiral as he tended to do when she asked about his break-up with Kimmie, but she wanted to know.

"No!" To her surprise, Ron laughed and rolled his eyes. "Seriously, Shego, we never got past second base. It was strictly over-the-clothes stuff."

"Wait..." Shego flinched back slightly, narrowing her eyes at him, "Y'mean, the first time we did it, you..."

"Was a virgin?" Ron asked after a brief pause. Shego had to silence a snort at the incorrect grammar, but she managed to hold herself back. "Yeah..." When Shego continued to stare at him, his blush deepened and he shrugged helplessly, "It was... Well, it was like she was my sister, but grown up…? We messed around a bit, but it just didn't feel… Feel like we do, y'know?"

"Like your..." Shego balked, her face screwing up in distaste. "Ewww!" When the blond began to laugh, she swatted his left buttock with her palm, none-too-gently, "Never, _ever_ say that again! It, it made me think of me and any of _my_ brothers..."

"Uh, I might have to, Sheegs," Ron said sheepishly, reaching up behind him to scratch at the back of his head. When she just stared at him with a deadpan expression and began to tap a finger against his stinging buttock, he dropped his hand, saying hesitantly, "There's... There's kinda a thing that I still wanna do…?"

"Oh? Something besides me? How shocking!" she teased. He chuckled, but the weight of the task he had in mind marred the amusement. Sensing this, Shego's smirk lessened as she asked, "What in the world do you want to do?"

He swallowed before replying, "I, uh, wanna tell Kim and Drew about us..."

Shego's jaw dropped open slightly, surprise and tension competing for dominance on her face. A clatter sounded from somewhere in the gymnasium, obviously Rufus dropping his new toy in shock, his pretense falling at the realization of just what that would mean..

"Oh boy… Big mess!" Rufus summed up the general positive end-game for the plan nicely.

"Rufus!" Shego snapped, glancing at the open stall door, "I thought you had headphones on!"

"Sowee!" Rufus called out, and they could hear him snapping the headphones back on his head.

"Voyeristic li'l pai-ouch!" Shego's attention snapped back to Ron, or more specifically, the fingers twisting a very sensitive part of her anatomy. "Ronnie, if you don't stop that, our shower's gonna be a _long_ one, and I'm not sure you're ready for another round…!"

"Well, it got your attention, didn't it?" Ron reposited smartly, then let go, his hand sliding back around her shoulder. Shego nodded, but her expression was rather droll as he continued. "Seriously, though, we should tell them. I mean... Kim _is_ like a sister to me, and my best friend forever. And I'm sure you'd like to talk to Drew about... Things..."

"Yeah," Shego admitted, though grudgingly. She glanced away and frowned, "I... Y'know, Betts had a point when she sent us out here, Ron."

"Yeah," Ron nodded in agreement, "But you had one, too. I mean, we _both_ saw what was happening between Drew and Kim before Betty did, and when we pointed it out, she agreed without even thinking about it." Ron let go of her, feeling the tension in her frame and knowing, after their time together, that she wouldn't want the contact at the moment. When she looked at him questioningly, he smiled softly, "Hey, we both know that now, or at least _soon_, is the best time. Things've calmed down between Kim and Drew-"

"I'd say heated up," Shego countered with a sarcastic roll of her eyes, "Did you see the way she was looking at him at the Nobel ceremony? I would almost think she was repressed or something with how intensely she was staring at his ass. And you can just bet I'm not the _only_ one that saw her goose him when he was sitting down, too!"

"Er, yeah..." Ron gave her a stifling frown, remembering how Shego had crowed and actually cheered Drew on and catcalled the screen with some rather crude comments. She'd had to rewind the video, but when he finally noticed Kim's attentions, and Drew's deep violet flush, he'd agreed. When the former mad scientist had whispered something to the smugly smirking redhead, she'd blushed and it had been Drew's turn to be smug. He realized that his lover was still grinning like the Cheshire Cat and shook his head stiflingly, "Anyway, I want to clear the air, and was hoping you'd like to as well."

"Yeah," Shego agreed, scowling in distaste and glaring at the shower wall. "Drew's gonna flip, though. Especially when I tell him I _was_ in love with him back then."

"Hey, Shego?" Ron's voice was uncertain, "Um... Why _did_ you leave him standing at the alter? Besides the fear thing, I mean." When she raised a questioning eyebrow at him, he chuckled. "Like being scared would've been the only thing to stop you. You went into space after the doc, and I'm sure you were pretty scared then, too. I'm guessing it was somethin' more than fear that made you leave, right?"

"You're right, it wasn't just fear..." Shego said, drawing an uncertain nod from Ron. After a moment of silence, she shrugged, "Long story short? His mom wanted me to be just like my mom: barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen. And told me she..." Shego paused and pursed her lips, before continuing in a slightly guarded manner, "She had a way to make my life hell if I didn't. I'd have had to do some stuff that might've rescinded my pardon, and I didn't want to do that."

"What could she have had on you that would make you do something like that?" Ron's face showed his confusion plainly, making her roll her eyes in frustration.

"Compliance chips, access to hitmen, and witnesses that would put lie to anything I could say against her. Plus, the _requirement_ of grandkids. Not a want for grandkids, but a requirement!" She was on a roll, and before Ron could say anything, she snapped, "For Christ's sake, _my_ mom was gonna stop having kids after me. Dad... Well, he was a jerk, to say the least, and she was terrified of him. Drew's mom wanted me to be the same way. I mean, she told me she had assurances from Drew we'd have _at least_ six kids! _At least_! She told me I'd better be ready to give her eight grandkids!" Shego's tone was dangerous, and she felt the urge to light up, "I'm _not_ some goddamn baby factory! And if I had to deal with her, and her threats, if I didn't start pumping out babies right away? And for Dr D to, to _promise_ something like that _without talking to me_?!""

"Not good," Ron agreed, his face screwing up in distaste, "I'll admit, the doc saying that stuff is a bit past center field; I didn't even think he _liked_ kids, let alone wanted to have a bunch of 'em!" Ron shook his head and chuckled slightly, "I mean, I'd like to have a kid or two, _someday_, but _that_ soon after marriage and that many...?" He shuddered, and to Shego's surprise, it was unfeigned.

"Same here," Shego nodded, then flushed as she realized what she'd just admitted to him. Something she'd never admitted to anyone, but... But, she realized, she didn't care. '_Someday, like Ronnie said...'_ she thought distractedly. And with that admission, and the smile on Ron's face, she realized that she could, and indeed _should_, talk to Drew. "You're right. We really should talk to them about us all, huh?" Shego held up a finger when Ron opened his mouth. "But not for a little while... I mean... We've admitted how we feel, but I do _not_ want to confront Drew about this while we're still... Feeling this," she motioned between the two of them, "_Us_, out. 'Kay?"

"Yeah, you're right. Like I said earlier, soon, right?" Shego nodded, then Ron thought of something that made him wince, "But KP first. After she gets done being tweaked at me, she can soften him up, and hopefully he'll actually be an adult about things and not toss his vines around in a fit like when Dementor managed to get his druid torched by that vermillion dragon..."

"Sheyeah, _right_!" Shego snorted, drawing a laugh from Ron. Reaching for the body wash they both used and the loofah, she glanced down at him and raised an eyebrow, knowing there was a positively sinful gleam in her eyes. "Get my back?"

"Sure..." Ron agreed easily, the very same gleam beginning to shine in his eyes.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Author's Notes<strong>

_Confused yet? Upcoming fics _will _fill in the blanks... Promise! Expect more in the same 'verse coming up soon. Hope you enjoyed this story!_


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